By: Sujata Massey

Japanese-American Rei Shimura is a 27-year-old English teacher living in one of Tokyos seediest neighborhoods. She doesnt make much money, but she wouldn't go back home to California even if she had a free ticket (which, thanks to her parents, she does.) Her independence is threatened however, when a getaway to an ancient castle town is marred by murder. Rei is the first to find the beautiful wife of a high-powered businessman, dead in the snow. Taking charge, as usual, Rei searches for clues by crashing a funeral, posing as a bar-girl, and somehow ending up pursued by police and paparazzi alike. In the meantime, she manages to piece together a strange, ever-changing puzzle--one that is built on lies and held together by years of sex and deception.Rei Shimura is a 27-year-old English teacher living in one of Tokyo's seediest neighborhoods. She doesn't make much money, but she wouldn't go back home to California even if she had a free ticket. Her independence is shaken, however, when a getaway to an ancient castle town is marred by the murder of the beautiful wife of a high-powered businessman. Rei suspects the police aren't looking in the right places, so she does. And she manages to piece together a strange, ever-changing puzzle--one that is built on lies and held together by years of sex and deception.

Review by Laura J. Rowland (Publisher Catalog): "A witty, perceptive take on how contemporary society clashes with traditional culture in modern Japan."